THE GIGAS

pg.5

" Junior!! Ruth!!!" I screech out in anger. I wait for a response before hastily getting up to see where the kids have gone.

Silence is all that greets me. Crap, they forgot to wake me before the sun lowers too much. I look behind me on the mattress to see Joseph still sleeping peacefully. He sleeps like a rock, and didn't even flinch when I started hollering.

I scoop up my clothes from the corner and hurriedly shoved the well worn boots on my feet.

I stomp down the hall to the small living room if you can call it that. Looking around it only confirmed my suspicion. Those two kids are sooo dead.

Ruth and Junior must have run off to look for some adventure. I angrily pulled my shirt hoody chimera creation over my head, courtesy of ruth's handiwork.

I burst out the side door, flushed and heaving with rage. The door slammed audibly against the smooth surface of the RV.

" Ruth !!! Junior !!! what the hell, WHERE are you!!!" I scream into the vast rolling hills filled with sage brush. I paused taking in a big breath before slowly exhaling it. I can't keep shouting out into the seemingly empty hills. It could alert someone about my siblings presence or in this case their disappearance, not to mention our location.

I look hard at the endless cohesive landscape. Save the few scraggly trees struggling to poke through the blue masses I didn't see the bodies of two tweens among them.

So I keep searching slowly and carefully. Section by section I study the hills. I am about to fly into a cursing tirade when I spot a moving shadow.

I see a long bean pole who I can only assume is my brother up far away on a hill. That boy is sure growing up fast, it would not surprise me if in the next couple of years he far surpasses me height wise.

A smaller lithe figure slinks closer to the bean pole. I wave my hands while jumping up and down letting them know that I have already awoken from my slumber.

Both shadows start to kick up debris as they attempt to hurry their pace down the hill. I squint my eyes concentrating on their forms. As they got closer, I started to make out Junior's lopsided haircut flopping joyously along and Ruth's aloof  cat like grace.

Junior's face glowed with happiness and pride. While Ruth sulked in abject annoyance. Once I could see the finer details on of their forms I made sure my face communicated my anger and disappointment.

" Well? What' s your excuse? " I grit out through clenched teeth.
Junior thrust up a WHOLE jack rabbit and a small bird, one in each fist. God dammit, you big donkey ass fool.

On closer inspection of both, ruth's hair was a dust covered mess with plant foliage scattered throughout and junior's clothes was covered in fine yellow pollen from the bushes. " I got us some fine grub, tonight we feast like those merchants in the settlements"  he heartily announced.

" Yeah, that's fine and dandy but look at the sky" I point a furious finger to the sun.

Junior's smile slid from his face
" oh, shit" he breathed out.

We all look at each other. There is no longer any time to waste. We need to leave now. Ruth and junior run to the RV's open door and fly in slamming it shut. I go around to the drivers seat shoving in the key and turning on the engine.  The camper lurches forward picking up speed. Junior leaps into the passenger side eyes frantically searching the map.

Night quickly approaches and we are not in a safe spot for the oncoming lone giga scouts. If a group of gigas or how I have heard them referred to in human camps, a gilgamesh, happens upon us we will be obliterated from existence with only our bones left scattered in the desert sand.

" In five miles we will get off this highway to exit 25, there is a town we have visited before with a safe spot that is another 10 miles down"

My brow sweats with concentration as I barrel down the road. " Here" junior instructs referencing between the road and the map.

We travel some more on the desolate road toward the town.

The ominous sunset coloring the earth in a wash of orange and yellow hues. I feel my heart speed up in desperation. We pass through a small paved road full of rickety abandoned houses.

I recognize this neighborhood, we are almost there. The gas station with the solar powered street light is so close yet so far. I hope we make it. I speed up past the last few yards to our safe spot for the night.

Finally at the very end of the town the gas station with bright red paint salutes our eyes. Yes!, I think we will have a couple moments to spare for setup as I look at the rapidly fading sunset.

Feuwww, that was a tough writer's block! But I worked through it😘